Shanghai Endangered Species Conservation and Research Centre, Shanghai Zoo, Shanghai 200335, China.
Shanghai Endangered Species Conservation and Research Centre, Shanghai Zoo, Shanghai 200335, China.
Anim Reprod Sci. 2024 Apr;263:107448. doi: 10.1016/j.anireprosci.2024.107448. Epub 2024 Feb 27.
The egg production of captive African penguins differs considerably between individuals. An understanding of the physiological differences in African penguins with relatively greater and lesser egg production is meaningful for the captive breeding program of this endangered species. The objective of this study was to investigate differential microbial composition and metabolites in captive African penguins with different egg production. Fecal samples were collected from captive female African penguins during the breeding season. The results of 16 S rRNA gene sequencing showed that African penguins with different egg production had similar microbial diversities, whereas a significant difference was observed between their microbial community structure. African penguins with relatively greater egg production exhibited a higher relative abundance of Alphaproteobacteria, Rhizobiales, Bradyrhizobiaceae, Bradyrhizobium and Bosea. Meanwhile, penguins with relatively lesser egg production had an increased proportion of Klebsiella and Plesiomonas. We further identified a total of 1858 metabolites in female African penguins by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis. Among these metabolites, 13 kinds of metabolites were found to be significantly differential between African penguins with different egg production. In addition, the correlation analysis revealed that the egg production had significant correlations with most of the differential microbial bacteria and metabolites. Our findings might aid in understanding the potential mechanism underlying the phenomenon of abnormal egg production in captive African penguins, and provide novel insights into the relationship between gut microbiota and reproduction in penguins.
圈养非洲企鹅的产蛋量在个体之间有很大差异。了解产蛋量相对较高和较低的非洲企鹅在生理上的差异，对该濒危物种的圈养繁殖计划具有重要意义。本研究旨在调查不同产蛋量的圈养非洲企鹅的微生物组成和代谢产物的差异。在繁殖季节，从圈养的雌性非洲企鹅中收集粪便样本。16S rRNA 基因测序结果表明，产蛋量不同的非洲企鹅具有相似的微生物多样性，但它们的微生物群落结构存在显著差异。产蛋量相对较高的非洲企鹅中，α变形菌门、根瘤菌目、慢生根瘤菌科、慢生根瘤菌属和 Bosea 的相对丰度较高。而产蛋量相对较低的企鹅中，克雷伯氏菌属和类志贺邻单胞菌的比例增加。通过液相色谱-质谱分析，我们进一步鉴定了雌性非洲企鹅中的 1858 种代谢物。在这些代谢物中，有 13 种代谢物在产蛋量不同的非洲企鹅之间存在显著差异。此外，相关性分析表明，产蛋量与大多数差异微生物细菌和代谢物具有显著相关性。我们的研究结果可能有助于理解圈养非洲企鹅异常产蛋现象的潜在机制，并为了解企鹅肠道微生物群与繁殖之间的关系提供新的见解。
